Ballooned, stol aircraft

ABSTRACT

A winged aircraft, adapted to takeoff and land with its longitudinal axis at a steep angle of inclination to a horizontal plane, comprising: aerostatic structure having a center of lift forward of and above a plane thru the center of gravity that tends to turn the craft into the said steep angle; a controllable-thrust stern-elevating propeller in a wind channel, having a lift rearward of the center of gravity that in horizontal flight balances the torque of the aerostatic structure; landing gear near the stern and forward of its rearmost end that supports the inclined craft on its after end when on the ground (or water when floats are used); and a forward pivoted plane that provides additional lift and balances the unusually large (maximum) torque of the stern-elevating propeller in takeoff and landing. The craft is preferably very long - like the dirigibles of the 1930&#39;&#39;s in length; and the resilient, inflated tubes of its load-carrying body are preferably flatended, inflated with helium at high pressure, and comprise strong, flexible material that will bend without fracture in unusual, dangerous, extreme turbulence while underway.

Apr. 2, 1974 United States Patent i1 1:

Moore [54] BALLOONED, STOL AIRCRAFT Inventor: Alvin Edward Moore, 916Beach Primary Examiner Duane Reger Blvd., Waveland, Miss. 39576 Jan. 13,1972 Appl. No.: 217,450

Assistant ExaminerBarry L. Kelmachter [22] Filed:

ABSTRACT A winged aircraft adapted to takeoff and land with its [52]U.S. 244/5, 244/l7.l9, 244/30,

longitudinal axis at a steep angle of inclination to a horizontal planecomprising: aerostatie structure hav' ing a center of lift forward ofand above a plane thru the center of gravity that tends to turn thecraft into the said steep angle; a controllable-thrust sternelevatingpropeller in a wind channel, having a lift rearward of the center ofgravity that in horizontal flight balances the torque of the aerostaticstructure;

us/ U n349y 1 5 4 9 4 22 4 2 9 66 B W 7 1 58/ "2 13 M4 "12 514 ,2 w2mm8l 2 u .56 "mi Tm R r 3 m w l 6 o D 4 d42 o e r -F HUM References Citedlanding gear near the stern and forward of its rearmost UNITED STATESPATENTS end that supports the inclined craft on its after end 346 Traver244/ when on the ground (or water when floats are used); and a forwardpivoted plane that provides additional lift and balances the unusuallylarge (maximum) torque of the stem-elevating propeller in takeoff andlanding. The craft is preferably very long like the dirigibles of thel930s in length; and the resilient, inflated tubes of its load-carryingbody are preferably flat-ended, inflated with helium at high pressure,and comprise strong, flexible material that will bend without fracturein unusual, dangerous, extreme turbu- Schultz ml a m m w a u m mm s m mmB u a e P mm m mm k3 CC mmawmm voom GPwARsmMMG 90352259000 2334566672599999999999 11111111111 000 2242635 11 1 1 22 354538 @Bl50287280 fl ,3,2 6879 860304 2736222 049 ,fifl sli -1223333 2 43 Claims, 34 DrawingFigures 5 4 4 2 S. N m m T A m w m L P P A.m R m 0 m So a m G M O P NHG6 H R 1 m 7 3 0O PATENTEUAPR 21914 1L11l/ I II II FIG.

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BALLOONED. STOL AIRCRAFT In the early part of the Twentieth Century theairship, or dirigible balloon, was a highly successful type of aircraft.In Germany, although lifted by explosive hydrogen and powered byrelatively heavy engines, great ships of the air Hansa, Viktoria-Louise,Sachsen remarkably stable and airworthy, were flown for five years. Theycarried 37,000 passengers, without a fatality or injury. World War Iinterrupted their development; but after the war the Graf Zeppelin andthe British airship R-34 were safely flown over long distances. The(jrafZeppelin flew over a million miles, with I44 ocean crossings, andthen was retired, undamaged, in 1937. But the crashes ofthe US. NavysShenandoah and A kron and the 1937 explosion and burning ofGer manyshydrogen-lifted Hindenburg brought the development of the rigid airshipto a long pause.

The rigid dirigible as then known thus failed apparently for fourreasons: (I the hydrogen used in Germanys airships was explosive (adrawback eliminated in America by helium); (2) the necessarily alongcraft had elongated frame members of aluminum alloy, which tended tobreak up in storms; (3) grounding and anchoring the largelighter-than-air craft were problems; and (4) control of the great craftby the vaned elevators and rudders that were utilized was difficult.

In view of these facts, some of the objects of this invention are toprovide: l) a ballooned, winged, shorttakeoff-and-landing (STOL),slightly heavier-than-air craft (or alternatively but not preferably, alighter- .than-air ship), comprising balloons having a center ofaerostatic lift forward of the crafts center of gravity; elongated,stiffly-resilent, light-weight and strong frame members of the cabin andwings comprising resilient inflated tubes of thin, ductile, strongmaterial (for example, aluminum or relatively soft aluminum alloy) orstrong plastic, capable of resisting bending under minor stressesnormally encountered during flight, and when under major stress (forexample in a storm) of bending from and later returning to its originalshape, without fracture; (2) such a ballooned craft in which the tubularmembers are flat-ended and inflated with helium; (3) a craft as inobjective (1) or (2) that comprises: landing gear (wheels or skids, orfloats in marine use) that is rearward of the craft's center of gravityand forward of its rearmost point; forward-propelling propulsion means;and means for changing the line of propulsive thrust for aid in shorttakeoff and landing; (4) a ballooned winged craft comprising means forproviding a center of aerostatic lift forward of the center of gravity,means for exerting aerodynamic lift having a center of aerodynamic liftthat is rearward of the center of gravity, means for controlling theaerodynamic lift for providing an angle of attack of the wings that isbelow their stalling angle but sufficient for takeoff and landing in thedesired range of short distances, and for providing a much smaller angleof wing attack in horizontal flight; (5) a craft as in objective (3) or(4) above, comprising a controllable-thrust, stern-elevating propeler onan upright axis that is rearward of the center of gravity; a craft as in(3), (4) or (5) above in which the center of aerodynamic lift of thewing means is slightly and sufficiently rearward ofthe crafts center ofgravity to provide in cruising flight an aerodynamic torque about thegravity center that is a little less than the torque about this centerof the aerostatic lift; (6) a ship as in (5) above, comprising acontrollable bowelevating means, located well forward of the center ofgravity and at a moment-arm distance from this center that isconsiderably greater than the moment arm between the sternward center ofaerodynamic lift and the center of gravity; and (7) a ship as in (6)above, in which the forward elevating means is a plane of variable lift,pivoted with respect to the cabin. Other objects will be apparent in thefollowing specification and accompanying drawings.

In these drawings: FIG. 1 is a side view, partly broken away and insection from a vertical plane that contains the fore-and-aft axis of thecabin, showing one form of the invented craft, having tiltable wings andpropellers; FIG. 2 is a plan view, partly broken away, of the preferredtype of tubular frame member, showing its tube in flat, rectangular,uninflated condition; FIG. 3 is a plan view, partly broken away, showingthe flat-ended tube as inflated, preferably with helium; FIG. 4 is aview in section from the plane 44 of FIG. 3; FIG. 5 is a detail,sectional view, illustrating one method of attachment ofa flat end ofaframe tubular member to another orthogonally arranged tube; FIG. 6 is adetail, mostly plan view, in section from a horizontal plane above oneof the flat-ended tubular members, showing a second, optional type ofjoint betweena flat end and a connected tube; FIG. 7 is a detail view,similar to FIG. 6, illustrating a joint between a round middle portionof a tubular frame member and flat ends of two other inflated tubularmembers whose axes are normal to the axis of the round middle portion;FIG. 8 is a plan view of a flat end portion of one of the tubes in thetype of joint shown in either FIG. 6 or FIG. 7; FIG. 9 is a view insection from the plane 9-9 of FIG'. 10, on a scale enlarged from that ofFIG. 1 or FIG. 10; FIG. 10 is a plan view, partly broken away and on areduced scale, of the craft of FIG. 1; FIG. 11 is a detail,sectionalview,

illustrating another optional type of joint between two flat-endedaligned tubes and a third tubular member whose axis is transverse tothat of each of the aligned tubes; FIG. 12 is a sectional detail viewthru a portion of one form of the cabin wall, indicating an optionalform of attachment of a tubular partition to an exterior tubular wall;FIG. 13 is a detail plan view indicating the type of elongated flattenedtubes that are inflated to form the exterior tubular members of FIGS.12, 14 and 15; FIG. 14 is a detail, sectional view. indicating theelongated cabin-wall tubular member of the optional type shown in FIG.12; FIG. 15 is a detail plan view of the optional flat-jointed type oftubular member of FIG. 14; FIG. 16 is a detail view in cross section ofan optional form of the wing, preferably utilizing flatended inflatedtubes; FIG. 17 is an elevational view, partly broken away and in sectionfrom a vertical plane thru the forward one of the inflated wing tubes,this view being transverse to the longitudinal axis of an optional formof the craft, comprising fixed wings; FIG. 18 is a side view, partlybroken away and in section from a vertical plane containing the'longitudinal axis, illustrating a rearward portion of a second, optionalfixed-wing form of the invented aircraft, in position for takeoff,having balloon bags within an enveloping frame of flat-ended inflatedtubes; FIG. 19 is a detail plan view, from the plane 19-19 of FIG. 18,of part of the heavier after portion of the craft of FIG. 18; FIG. 20 isa detail, sectional view from the plane 20-20 of FIG. 19, indicating thestrong joint between the rear plate; FIG. 21 is an enlarged, frontelevational view of the vehicle of FIG. 18, partly broken away toillustrate in vertical section the frame tubular members and aerostaticmeans of a portion of the craft forward of the propellers, withskid-like forward landing means that comprise inflated tubes imbedded instrong foam plastic in tough-material skins; FIG. 22 is a rearelevational view, partly in-cross section from a plane rearward of thewings and propulsive units, illustrating an, arcuatewalled, optionallybarrel-curved form of the loadcarrying body; FIG. 23 is a detail,cross-sectional view,

showing an optional junction between orthogonal exterior walls of theload-carrying body; FIG. 24 is a detail view, partly broken away, incross section thru the invented vehicle, showing an arcuate-walled cabinthat comprises flat-ended tubular members; FIG. 25 is a sectionaldetailview from the plane 25-25 of FIG. 24; FIG. 26 is a midship,cross-sectional, sternward view of the balloon-encircled-cabin form ofthe invented craft, adapted for rocket-powered or turbojet-powered airor space travel, in which the balloons are shaped to provide aerodynamiclift during takeoff and landing; FIG. 27 is a view, partly broken away,in longitudinal section from a plane containing the fore-and aft axis,showing another optional, winged form of the vehicle, comprisingflat-ended, tubular members; FIG. 28 is a sectional detail view from theplane 2828 of FIG. 27, illustrating three of the interior balloons; FIG.29 is a sectional detail view from a plane comparable to that indicatedat 2828 of FIG. 27, showing one of the main sidewall, flat-endedballoons in cross section; FIG. 30 is a plan view, partly broken awayand in section from the planes 30-30 of FIG. 32, of another form of theinvented craft; FIG. 31 is a detail top-plan view of a forward corner ofthe craft of FIG. 30, on a scale reduced from that of FIGFSOillustrating in horizontal section a forward flat end of a side balloonof FIG. 30; FIG. 32 is a vertical sectional view from the plane 32--32of FIG. 30; FIG. 33 is an elevational view in section and on a reducedscale from the plane 33-33 of FIG. 30; and FIG. 34 is a detail plan viewon an enlarged scale from the plane indicated at 3434 of FIG. 32.

Each of the disclosed forms of the invention comprises the followingmain features: an elongated cabin having a strong light-weight frame ofinflated, stiffly resilient tubular members; balloons above and belowthe cabin having a center of aerostatic lift that optionally andpreferably is forward of the vehicles center of gravity;stern-elevating, composite attitude-controlling means having a resultantcenter of lift that is rearward of the center of gravity, and having alifting force of controllable value that at its maximum exerts a torqueon its moment arm about the center of gravity that is greater than thetorque of the aerostatic force about this center; and other,controllable lifting means forward of the centerof gravity, capable ofexerting a torque on its-relatively long moment arm about the center ofgravity that, with the aerostatic torque, exceeds the maximum torque ofthe stern-elevating means, and thus at the will of the pilot raises orholds the craft and its wing means in a positive angle of attack, forshort takeoff and landing or maneuvering in the air.

STERN-ELEVATING MEANS AND CONTROLS In each of the inventive forms therearward elevating means comprises an elevating, attitude-controllingpropeller, 1, driven by the motor'2, capable of lifting a substantialportion of the vehicles weight, in normal horizontal flight driven atmoderate, less-than-maximum speed and used to balance a substantialportion of the counteracting torque of the aerostatic means, with theremainder of the rearward balancing of the aerostatictorque beingprovided by the wings which preferably are a little rearward of thecenter of gravity. This elevating propeller I has an upright-axis lineof lift that is rearward of the crafts center of gravity, and provides atorque about this center that is controllable by the pilot and at ornear its maximum is greater than the torque of the aerostatic means,thus (in maneuvering) changing the pitch angle of the vehicle into anegative angle of attack. Optionally, this propeller 1 may have a fixedpitch angle, or be of controllable pitch or controllable and reversiblein pitch. The motor 2 may be of any known type of engine or electric orfluid motor; but for insuring its long-continued operation in the air itis preferably an hydraulic or air motor, or else an electric motor.Optionally in each of the forms a controllable rocket motor of knowntype may be substituted for the motor 2 and propeller I.

Optionally, the composite rearward elevating means also comprises twoother features: an elevating plane 3 of known type, pivoted,controllable by the pilot by known mechanism; and the wing means 4, witha center of aerodynamic lift that is preferably slightly rearward of thecenter of gravity. These-additional rearward elevators are preferably,for in the rare event of failure of the elevating means 1-2 the pilotmay control the crafts pitch angle by means of the elevator 3 and thewing lift, which preferably comprises lifting force on wing flaps 5(FIG. 18) and exerts a counterclockwise torque on the short moment armbetween its center of lift and the vehicles center of gravity.

The propeller l is preferably located in and supported by awind-channel6. This wind-channel, venturi-shaped in sectional planescontaining its axis, may be formed of molded plastic (reinforced withfibers or fabric) or of thin metal. Or optionally it may be formed of:stacked, closely juxtaposed, inflated, doughnutshaped plastic orthin-metal tubes or inflated, plastic or metallic, uprightly arranged,juxtaposed, curved-axis tubes each of which extends from the upper,windentrance opening to the bottom, wind-exit opening, these uprighttubes being sheathed in plasticskins. Four orthogonally arrangedelevating-propeller supports 7, fixed within the channel 6, may be metalbars, but as shown each comprises strongly inflated plastic or metallictubes 8 and 9, of different diameters, preferably in a streamlined skin.These tubes, inflated with air or helium, support a metallic ring orband 10; and within this band the motor 2 is fixed.

The wing means may be: fixed to the cabin structure as indicated inFIGS. I8, 21, 27, 30 and 32; or pivoted in or on the cabin as shown inFIGS. 1 and 10; or comprise a somewhat flat bottom of the long fuselage(examplecl in FIGS. 1, 18, 21, 22, 26, 27 and 33) which, when it isunderway, has an angle of attack due to the controlled balance of thetorques from the rearward elevating means, and from the aerostaticmeans, thus providing aerodynamic lift. In all the basic craft formsexcept that of FIG. 26 the wing means comprises a propeller-supportingwing jutting from each side of the fuselage and having strongly inflatedframe or spar tubes of different diameters. These tubular sparsoptionally may have rounded-disk ends, andcontain air; but preferably,and as indicated in FIG. 17, they contain helium and have flattened andsealed ends. They are housed in a tightly enveloping wing skin andpreferably, as shown in FIG. 9, are imbedded in foam plastic 12 thatpreferably is stiffly resilient. The tubes (14, 15, 16, etc.) areconstructed and arranged, in diameters and spacing, to provide contactbetween inflated-tube lines and the streamlined, flexible wing skin thatdoes not interfere with smooth aerodynamic flow over the skin. Optionalarrangements of the wing-spar tubes are illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 16.In FIG. 16, smalldiameter bracing tubes of strong plastic or metal orbamboo are shown at 17; when of plastic or metal these are preferablyflat-ended and inflated with helium. For wing strength of eitherarrangement these tubular members preferably extend thru the cabin; butas shown in FIG. 1, some of them may be interrupted with disk-endsglued-to parts of a wing-rotating motor assembly.

Optional arrangements of the rearmost vehicleattitude controls (eachbeing usable in any of the disclosed inventive forms) are shown in FIGS.1 and 10, FIGS. 18 and 19, and FIGS. 30 and 32. In FIGS. 1 and theelevator 3 is hinged to the bases of the two upright stabilizing fins 18and 19, and twin rudders 20 are hinged to after edges of the fins. InFIGS. 18 and 19 the elevator 22 is hinged to the rear edge of thestabilizer 23 and controlled by the pilot via the hydraulic motor 24 andpivoted linkage 25; and the rudders 26 are hinged to rear edges of thepair of fins 27. In FIGS. and 32: the elevator 3 is hinged at 28 to therearmost part of a steering-propeller support; the streamlined casing ofthis propeller acts as a vertical-fin-like means stabilizing againstyaw; and the rudder 29 is preferably another anti-yaw stabilizing means.The rudder, which is fixed to the rudder post 30, may be rotated insteering by the hydraulic or other servo motor 32 at the will of thepilot, and has fixed to its edge a bar of foam rubber' or otherresilient plastic, 33. This plastic strip similar to weather strippinghas a fore-and-aft dimension that is slightly greater than thefore-and-aft space between the rudders rear edge and the forward edge ofthe foam plastic fairing 34 (which aids in streamlining the steeringpropeller casing), so that (as indicated in FIG. 30) when the rudder isin fore-and-aft position the airstream of the crafts travel smoothlyflows around the rudder and casing. This rudder is preferably held byits motor and linkage or gearing in this fore-and-aft,anti-yaw-stabilizing position, and is used by the pilot for steeringonly in the unlikely event of failure of the steering propeller andmotor. The steering propeller in each inventive form is normally used tosteer the long and rather bulky craft.

Optionally, this steering propeller, 36, may have a fixed pitch angle,with its thrust variable by control of the speed of its hydraulic orelectric motor 37, or be of controllable pitch, or controllable andreversible in pitch. In a manner similar to the elevating propellerassembly, the steering propeller is supported in the middle of itsoutwardly flared casing or wind-tube by bands 38, and the wind tube maybe made of reinforced plastic. thin metal or of inflated tubes of thetype described above in respect to the wind channel 6. As illustrated inFIGS. 30 and 32, the steering-propeller wind-tube comprises a singledoughnut-shaped tube 40, of plastic and fabric, inflated with helium orair; preferably, it is streamlined by both the forward fairing 34 andalso a similar rear fairing that terminates in a narrow band glued topart of the hinge 28.

As exampled in FIGS. 1 and 18 this wind-tube comprises a fabric-sheathedset of juxtaposed, coaxial, inflated, doughnut-shaped tubes 41, withsidewalls of each adjacent pair of the tubes epoxy-glued together andside walls'of the outer tubes of the set glued to'interior surfaces ofthe fin plates 18 or 27.

As shown in FIG. 1, the forward elevator optionally may be a singlepivoted, streamlined element 42, extending thru the cabin and juttingoutside of it on both sides, adjustable at the will of the pilot by thehydraulic or other servo motor 44. Or, as illustrated in FIG. 10, it maycomprise a spar 46, pivoted in the cabin sidewalls, supporting theoutside streamlined vanes 47, and rotatable by a motor like 44 andpivoted links connected to spar 46.

THE CABIN The load carrying body, in each invention form optionally maybe H-shaped in vertical longitudinal section, as illustrated in FIGS. 1,24 and 25, 27; or it may be of the substantially streamlined orelongated shape of FIGS. 26 and 32.

In some uses of the invention this body may be made of elongated,curved-in-cross-section, molded panels of stiffly resilient plastic orthin, ductile, die-formed sheet metal, preferably having reinforcingridges extending longitudinally or transversely of the panels axis;these panels being somewhat similar to barrel staves, and glued orwelded at their side edges into a cylindrical or barrel-shaped cabin.But preferably and as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 8, 11 to 15, 18, 21, 22to 25 and 27 it comprises sealed, strongly inflated, tubular members ofthin plastic or metal capable of a multiplicity of bendings mal minorimpacts of air travel the tubes are inflated under sufficient pressureto hold their shape without yielding.

As indicated in FIG. 2 the uninflated tube may be in the form of arectangular blank, 48, or two flat, closely adjacent piles that arehermetically joined at their side and end edges, for example by weldingepoxy-gluing, or molded, integral junctions. The material of this blankmay be, for example, of ductile aluminum, soft aluminum alloy, soft,extraordinarily thin steel, other ductile metal, or strong plastic thatpreferably is impermeable or nearly impermeable to gas. If a plastic orplasticreinforced nylon is used of the type that is permeable to heliumeach tube is preferably provided with a valve and repeatedly inflatedfrom within the cabin. One good material for these tubes ispolypropylene plastic which has been called the living hinge because itmay be bent without fracture a multitude of times. Another goodmaterial, currently preferred, comprises thin, soft aluminum alloy,permanently sealed and gaspressurized.

One method of making the blank of FIG. 2 comprises the following steps:l) folding a rectangular sheet of the selected metal or plastic alongits middle elongated line; (2) sealing a valve (or small gas-inlet tube)in one wall of the blank and sealing the adjacent sides and end edges ofthe folded plies with welding or epoxy cement;

(3) inflating the tube with helium (or hydrogen, mixed with a smallpercentage of inert gas); and (4) if the material is substantiallyimpermeable to gas, permanently sealing the valve or small gas-inlettube. Another method of making it is like the above-described methodexcept that steps l and (2) comprise superposing one rectangular pieceon another separate and equal piece and then hermetically joining thefour pairs of side and end edges. And a third optional method comprisesthe following steps l and (2): collapsing a thin-walled extruded tubeinto the rectangular form of FIG. 2, sealing the adjacent flattened endedges, and then inflating the blank with lighter-than-air gas.

I Still another optional way of making the inflated flatended tube is toblow-mold plastic with helium in accordance with the method of thepresent inventors U.S. PatfNo. 3,503,825 of Mar. 31, 1970, utilizing anelongated, flat-ended mold of the type of FIG. 1 of that patent and itsretractable gas-injection tube.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show the inflated, middle-curved, flatended shape oftheresul'tant tubular member. When its length is five or more times itsdiameter its central portion is circular in cross-section, and from thiscentral portion it curvingly tapers to its flat ends, with pairs ofoutward tapers 50 on two of its sides and pairs of inward tapers52 onits other two sides. The length of these curved tapers, from the plane53 to the line 54.at .the edge of the welding or glue of the flattenedend depends on the diameter'of the circle ofa middle tubular crosssection when and if the tube is long enough to have a circular crosssection. The ratio of the taper length to the diameter is the same forall tube diameters and may be exactly determined by mathematicalcalculation s. The length of this taper has been roughly and empiricallyascertained to be overtwo times the potential diameter of the tubularmember. The width of the major dimension of the flat band of welding orglue at 54 is approximately l.57 times the diameter. The holes 56 arefor aid in attachment of the tube to another structure by means of boltsor rivets, for example where the flat end of the tube 58 or 60 of FIG. 1is bent and bolted or riveted to the cabin plate 62, the end of 58 beingbent upward or downward and the end 61 of the tube 60 being laterallybent. The flat ends mayv be forked as illustrated in FIG. by slittingthe tube-outside of the welding or glue 54; and the forked portions 63,preferably thickened and reinforced by glued or welded bands, may bebent around and fastened to another tube; as by epoxy glue or welding64. Or the glued-together band of two plies of the flat-end portions.may be bent entirely around a tube and glued, bolted or otherwisefastened to it.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 18 and 25, the cabin has an I-I-shape insection along a vertical plane containing its longitudinal axis, thusproviding ells between which the main balloons are positioned, securedand supported. These ells comprise at one of the sets of balloon endsthe plate or transverse cabin wall 62 and at the other set of balloonends the juxtaposed, skin-sheathed, in-

flated tubes 66 which form a second transverse cabin wall. These balloonends preferably are of much greater vertical extent than the distancebetween the upper and lower sets of the inflated tubes 58 and 60 of theelongated middle part of the cabin. But, as indicated in FIG. 10, thehorizontal width of the plate 62 (and of the opposite set of tubes 66)is the same as that of this elongated part.

The forward cabin part 68 comprises: a central compartment, in which thepilot and others may sit (the pilot can see forward, upward and downwardfrom the craft thru the plexiglass windows 70, and to each side andpartially rearward thru the elongated, side windows 71 (one on each sideof the compartment), and preferably can see to the area abaft the sternby use of a periscope extending thru one of the side windows); a lower Icompartment 72 in which baggage and other things may be stored; a bottomcompartment 74 that contains one of three transversely aligned fuel (orwater) tanks 75 (of which only one is shown in FIG. 1 and an uppercompartment that contains balloons 76 and 77, filled with helium orother lighter-than-air gas, and optionally imbedded in foam plastic 78.

This forward part may be made entirely of sheet metal or molded plasticparts (optionally ridged), like the after part of the craft, butpreferably the major portion of its framing comprises flat-endedinflated tubes (66, 80, 81,82 and 83), of the above-described type. Theelement 84 (above the inner window 70) is an inflated tube that is notflat-ended; and 85 designates a sheet-metal or plastic segment of acylinder having the front window opening, framed by the plates 86. Therearward end of the tube 81 is fastened to a tube 66 in the manner ofFIG. 5, preferably with flexible reinforcing pieces of plate orsheeting, glued or welded to the forked portions. The forward end ofeach of the tubes 80 and 81 is epoxy-glued or welded and optionallyriveted or bolted to a parallel flat end of a tube 82. The rearward flatend of the tube 80 is fastened around 66 and to a flat end of 60 in themanner shown in FIG. 11. A plurality of bracing rods 87, to which theplate 86 is fixed, have flat ends that are epoxy-glued or welded and/orriveted to the forward flat ends of the tubes 80. Each of the tubes 83is fastened at its forward flat end to the tube 84 as indicated in FIG.6. This flat end is shaped as in FIG. 8, with forks 88 that are placedaround 84; an then clevis-shaped pieces of sheet on plate (89) areplaced above and below 88 and-glued or welded and riveted or bolted to88. The rearward flat end of 83 also has band-reinforced forks 88; andas illustrated in FIG. 7 these go around the tube 66 and are fastened tosimilar forks of a flat end of the tube 58.

The middle cabin part 90 provides the main payloadcontaining space, inwhich passengers and/or freight may be located, and also has anelongated portion housing the balloon bags 91 on each side of a narrowwalkway. These bags are large enough in crosssectional area to provideonly a narrow walking space between them. The relatively large volume ofthese balloon bags and the main upper and lower balloons 121 and 122provide the principal aerostatic lift for the vehicle. Because of dragthe width and depth of the craft are limited; but in the engineeringdesign the length of the top and bottom balloons and of thisballoon-andcorridor space in the middle section 90 may be increased, fordesired extra load, with minimum increase in drag. Optionally, themiddle-section tubes 58 and 60 and the similar, vertically stackedsidewall tubes may be lined by thin aluminum or plastic sheeting, 92. Asexampled, this lining is restricted to two of the passenger-carryingcompartments, having windows 93, a door 94 to the outside, and a door 95to the rear cabin part. Windowed elements (doors and windows) areprovided in each of the inventive forms of the vehicle.

The rear cabin section is illustrated as being mostly made of sheeting(of aluminum alloy, other metal or reinforced plastic, preferablyridged); but optionally and preferably, as exampled in FIGS. 23 to 25,its framing mostly comprises inflated flat-ended tubes. As exampled inFIGS. 1 and 10, this after part comprises a streamlined metal orreinforced-plastic shell 96.,

62, 97 and 98; upper and lower walls (indicated by the numerals 96 and96' in FIG. 1); an arcuate-in-crosssection cabin wall 103 (a forwardlyflanged segment of a cylinder), fixed by bonding material (welding orepoxy) and bolts or rivets to the front of the wind channel 6; and arearmost, arcuate-in cross-section cabin wall, 104, also a segment ofacylinder, and similarly fixed to the rear uprightly curved line of thechannel 6.

ln he top part of the shell 96 balloons 106 and 107, preferably imbeddedin foam plastic, are located. And in the bottom part of 96 some of theheavier elements of the craft are located. These comprise: an auxiliaryengine 108; a pump assembly 109, for pumping fuel and/or water intrimming the aircraft; an hydraulicfluid accumulator 110; an electricgenerator 111', batteries 112; a row of three fuel and/or water tanksextending transversely of the vehicle, of which only the middle one(113) is shown in FIG. 1; and a compartment 114 (with access doors 95and 115), providing room for repair or replacement of the units 108 to113. A balloon-and-foam-plastic unit that is rearward of the wall 104,and fixed to it by epoxy between this wall and the walls 18, and astreamlined envelope of flexible, fibrous or metallic fabric, completesthe sternward streamlining of the craft. This unit, permanently joinedby epoxy to the bases of the fins 18, and inclosing thesteering-propeller tube, comprises preferably cylindrical but optionallyflat-ended-tube balloons, within stiffly resilient foam plastic and theenveloping, streamlined skin of metallic or fibrous fabric. It may bemade in a sub-assembly mold before the wall 104 is fastened to the sidewalls 102. Or, optionally and its foam plastic may be poured in situaround the balloons and steeringpropeller unit after the wall 104 isfixed to the side plates 18 and the wind-tube 6; and after the balloons116 are glued to the envelope 41 of the steeringpropeller tubes and thewaterproof flexible sheath 118 is in place, the pressure of the foamingliquidsin forming the foam plastic automatically forces the sheathoutward into arcuate-in-cross section, streamlined curves. (Optionallythe sheath 118 may be made of two cylindrically segmental, die or moldformed plates or sheets of shape-holding metal or reinforced plastic,

joined at the aftermost line of the craft's streamlining.)

THE AEROSTATIC LIFT As exampled in FIGS. 1 and 18, the aerostatic meanscomprises the main balloon units 121 and 122 and the secondary balloon'76, 77, 91, 1116, 107, 116, 119, 120. FIGS. 17, 22, 27 and 311 to33show other various arrangement of the aerostatic units, which optionallymay be used in each of the inventive forms. The overhead balloons 119and 120, lining the ceilings of the cabins middle part, disk-ended orround-ended as shown, are

preferably used in each of the inventive forms where they do not uudulyinterfere with headroom for walking. FIGS. 27 and 28 illustrate anoptional form of the balloons that line the side walls of the elongated,substantially unweighted central portion of the cabin, in theflat-ended, upright-axis aerostatic units 124, 126 and 127. Each of themain balloon units 121 and 122 and of the balloon filler units 128(FIGS. 21 and 24) or 218 (FIG. 22) preferably comprises a plurality ofballoon bags in fore-and-aft alignment, within the outer, preferablyvehicle-strengthening skin 130.

Within this skin also, in each of the forms of the invention, ballonets129, of known construction, are provided; these are controllablyinflatable with air before takeoff to insure smooth, safe distention ofthe heliumcontaining thin-walled envelope 130 at ground-levelatmospheric pressure, and deflatable at a higher altitude. In theinventive forms exampled in FIG. 18, illustrating strongly inflated,flat-ended frame tubes 136 that hold the skin 130 in streamlinedcondition (optionally usable in each of the invention forms), theseballonets preferably are not used.

In each form the skin 130, of plastic and fibrous fabric or flexiblemetallic fabric or of thin soft-aluminum or plastic sheeting, thusenvelops the main balloons and the middle part of the cabin and providesfor smooth flow of air over the streamlined craft. As exampled in FIG.1, as well as FIG. 18, additional vehiclestrengthening means ispreferably provided. In FIG. 1 this means comprises the curved strip 132of tough material for example resilient, fabric-reinforced rubber,similar to smooth outer material of a worn automobile tire casing. Thiswide strip strengthens the craft longitudinally, but also protects theballoon units 122 and the skin 130 when the balloon-elevated bow of theship is pulled down by a rope and tackle or the like for loading orstoring the craft. Additional longitudinal strengtheners, also usable ineach of the inventive forms, are two or more taut, elongated bracingelements, 134, which extend between and from end to end of balloon units121, 122 and 128, and are fastened to the upright bulkheads at the endsof these units. These strengtheners may be cables; but preferably theyare firmly resilient, and optionally may be small, flat-ended,heliuminflated tubes, or spring rods of small-diameter resilient steel,or nylon cords impregnated with stiffly resilient plastic. The exampleof the strengtheners in FIG. 18

comprises top, bottom and side sets of closely adjacent flat-endedtubes, 136; so that, within the skin 130, these tubes extend all aroundthe middle part of the aircraft.

An important feature of this invention is the fact that the balloons arepreferably constructed and arranged to have a center of lift that issufficiently forward of the center of gravity of the loaded craft that,with the rear elevator 3 down (and, in all of the inventive forms exceptthat of FIG. 26, the optional wing flaps down) the wing means has anangle of attack during takeoff or landing that is steep but short of thestalling angle. Thus even in the unlikely event of failure of theliftingpropeller motor 2, and even when, as is optional, the wing meansis so located that its normal center of aerodynamic lift isapproximately in the transverse vehicle plane containing the center ofgravity, the craft descends at slow speed, with non-stallingmaximum-angle lift of the wing means. Thus in an unlikely emergency thecraft will land safely, like a glider. When it optionally has beendesigned with the normal center of wing lift a little rearward of thecenter of gravity, in such an emergency the following rearward liftingforces have combined rearward upward torques about the center of gravitythat balance the combined forward upward torque of the aerostatic liftabout this center and the controllable uplift of the forward elevator47, holding the wing means at a little less than the stalling angle: (1)the controllable lift of the rear elevator 3; (2) the controllable liftof the optional, preferably slotted wing flaps; and (3) the lift of thewings (optionally also controllable when the wing form is that of FIGS.1 and 10, but for simplicity and economy of construction the wings arepreferably fixed as in FIGS. 17, 18, 26 and When in normal flight, andthe'elevating propeller 2 is normally functioning, the elevator 3, andthe wing flaps and the forward elevator 47 are not down, the elevatingpropeller 1 at its maximum thrust has torque about the center of gravitythat sufficiently overbalances the opposite torque of the aerostaticmeans to nose the craft downward. Thus, because in takeoff or landingwith a very short run maximum lift of the elevating propeller isdesirable, the optional forward elevator 47 is a preferred feature ofthe invention.

When the normal wing lift'has been designed to be approximately at thetransverse plane containing the center of gravity, in short takeoff andlanding: (l) the elevator 3 and the optional wing flaps are down; theelevating propeller I is at or near its maximum thrust; the torqueof l,tending toward yaw of the craft, is controllably balanced by thesteering propeller 36 and/or the rudder (or 26); and the forward plane47 is controllably pivoted to produce a lifting torque about its longmoment arm to the center of gravity. Thus the combined lifting forcesare so balanced under pilots control that the craft is held at a steep,non-stalling angle and takes off or lands with a very short run and slowforward speed, say at 20 to 30 miles per hour. In this non-stallinglysteep takeoff or landing a percentage of the lift, in each of theinventive forms is due to the steep angle of attack on the bottom of theelongated hull.

LANDING GEAR The landing device, optionally of wheels or floats,preferably comprises an element that, when the craft is at rest on theground (or water), provides a fulcrum that is rearward of the center ofgravity by a predetermined distance, calculated with respect to thenormal small weight of the loaded vehicle and the predeter-v minedtorque of aerostatic lift, to permit that torque to hold the forwardpart of the craft off and clear of the ground (or water surface). InFIGS. 18 and 32., this fulcrum is at the rotary axis of the wheel 138,and it provides for an inclination of the loaded craft that isillustrated in FIG. 1, and a steeper inclination of the unloaded ship,for example as shown in FIGf18. Alternatively, this fulcrum is at thecenter of buoyancy of the rear floats when these are used in the placeof wheels, or (when the craft is amphibian) in addition to the wheels.If the fulcrum wheel 138 is moved rearward the length of the lever armbetween the load at the center of gravity and the fulcrum at the rotaryaxis of 138 is increased, and the bow of the craft moves downward.

In FIG. 1 the wheels-138 and 140 are similar to two other wheels on theopposite side of the vehicle; and in the craft of FIG. 32, as thereexampled, only one pair of the wheels is utilized, these being inalignment below the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. Optionally in FIG.32, the middle pair of wheels may be replaced by two pairs at oppositesides of the load'carrying body. In FIG. 1, each of the wheels 138 and140 is journaled relatively to an oleo strut, of well known type ofconstruction, and under shock is movable upward into a wheel well,sealed except at its wheel opening, fixed to the interior of a side wall102. Optionally, the wheels may be retractable into these wells duringflight. Either of the two types of landing gear shown as in the vehicleforms of FIG. 1 and FIG. 32 optionally may be used in either of theseforms.

As illustrated in FIG. 32, the wheels are mounted on theresilient,helium-inflated, flat-ended tubes 142 and 143. The material of thesetubes, like that of the inflated wing tubes, is preferably somewhatstronger than the cabin-frame tubes. Some examples of this material thatthus may be used are: strong, resilient plastic reinforced by fibrous ormetallic fabric or fibers; very thin, resilient steel (optionallystainless steel); and soft aluminum alloy of at least two hundredths ofan inch in thickness, reinforced by plates bonded to the flat ends, andwhen welded or epoxy-glued at a side edge, reinforcement of this sideedge by a coating or ridging of epoxy putty at this edge. Each of thetubes is strongly and flexibly fastened to the bottom of theload-carrying body, for example by a hinge and epoxy or air-set rubbercement the tube 142 at the point 144 and the tube 143 at 145. Thesetubular members are within a partly cylindrical skin 146 that is fixedto the vehicles outer skin means and in its front edge to the base 68 ofthe wind channel 6. Resilient foam plastic 147 extends between the skin146 and the bottom cabin wall, and around most of the tubes 142 and 143.Each wheel has an axle 148 that is journaled in the bearing 1488, FIG.34, (or, optionally, the wheel is journaled on an axle 148 that is fixedto a wheel well 149). The top 150 of this well is hermetically sealed bybonding material around the edges 151 of the wheel hole in the bottom ofthe tube 142 (or 143), so that the gas inside the tube cannot escape. Onreceiving a shock as in landing the wheel andits well move upwardtogether, carrying the resilient lower part of the tube with them,against the gaseous pressure in the tube. Also the tube then rocksagainst the resiliency of the foam plastic 147; and optionally furthershock absorbing may be obtained by an oleo strut that has one endconnected to the top 150 and its other end connected to the inside wallof the tube near the point 144 (or 145).

Since the craft is illustrated in FIG. 32 as having its bow pulled down,the wheel is off the ground or other takeoff and landing surface, andthe wheel 138 is on this surface, as is a relatively tough forwardlanding structure. This structure, which is not normally in contact withthe vehicle-supporting surface in takeoff or landing, but instead isinclined into the air above that surface, comprises at least oneelongated, inflated flatended tube, 154, of one of the strong materialsreferred to above in connection with the tubes 142 and 143. A singletube 154M (FIGS. 26 and 33) optionally may be in front of a single pairof the tubes 142 and 143; but when the wheel-carrying tubes consist of afore andaft-aligned pair at each side of the cabin a tube 154 isprovided with its axis in alignment with 142 and 143 at each of thesesides (FIG. 26). Each rearward end of a tube l54'is imbeded in flexiblefoam plastic, and is housed in a flexible skin 1308 of reinforcedplastic, rubber-coated fabric or aluminum alloy that is bonded to thebottom of the cabin skin 130. As exampled in FIGS. 26 and 33, theforward landing structure optionally comprises a juxtaposed plurality ofthe tubes 154 and 154M, of which the middle tubes 154M preferably arethin-skinned lighter-than-air units; and below each of the side tubes154 there is an elongated, streamlined, molded tube-stiffening andwear-taking element 155 of tough, resilient plastic for example, rubberof the type used in-automobile tire treads. The flat front end of eachof the tubes 154 is oriented like the flat ends illustrated in FIGS. 31and 33.

FIGS. 30 and 32 illustrate a flat'ended type of the balloons which isoptionally usable in each of the vehicular forms. The rearward flat end156 of each of the balloons 158 is vertical and aids in stabilizingagainst yawing of the vehicle. As illustrated in FIG. 31, the forwardflat end 159 of each of these balloons is substantially horizontal,aiding in streamlining, and somewhat stiffening the forward end of theballoon against the wind pressure of flight. This stiffening may beaugmented by a narrow, flat band that is epoxy-glued to each side of theepoxy 160 that seals the plies of the flat end of the tube; these bandsof plastic or metal, may be made of a single, integral piece of sheetingand bent to fit over each flat tube end.

The middle upper balloon 162 is illustrated in FIG. 30 as having adiameter that is a little smaller than that of the balloons 158, butpreferably and as exampled in FIG. 33, the balloon tubes 158 and 162 areof the same diameter. Both the forward and the rearward flattened endsof the balloon 162 (or 162') are flat in a horizontal plane. The afterend is epoxy-glued at 163 to a middle horizontal line of the arcuatefairing cover sheet or plate 164 that is in the form of a segment of acylinder. This fairing cover, of reinforced plastic or aluminum alloy,is epoxy-glued at its horizontal edge 165 to a rear part of the top skin130T (which in this area is glued to the cabin top), and is thus gluedat the point 166 to the top horizontal edge 168 of the wind channel 6,and thus glued at its side edges to lateral portions 1305 of the skinmeans 130. As exampled in FIGS. 32 and 33, the forward part of the topskin portion 130T of the skin means 130 is substantially planar; butoptionally, when 162 is of smaller diameter than 158 the middle part ofthe forward portion of 130T (over the balloon 162) may be lower than thetop of 158, thus forming a forward channel that conducts air to thestreamlined element 164. And optionally, when the lower landingstructuretubes 154M are of smaller diameter than the side tubes 154 the middlepart of the forward skin portion 1308 may be higher than the bottoms of154, thus ble arcuate skin 170, which (like 164) is a segment of acylinder.

PROPELLING MEANS The propulsion means of the forms of FIGS. 1 and l0,17, 18, 22 and 30 comprise power units (optionally of the turbojet orjet or internal-combustion-engine type) that are supported by the wings4. Each'of these units is exampled as comprising a motor (172) and apropeller 174 (of fixed or variable pitch).

Because the aerostatic and controllable aerodynamic torques may becalculated to provide any desired nonstalling angle of fixed-wing attackin takeoff and landing (this angle being increasable without stalling byslotted wing flaps of known type), the propelling units in each of theinventive forms preferably (and as illustrated in FIGS. 17, 18 and 30)have lines of thrust that are fixed with respect to the vehicle s axes.But optionally and for greater rapidity of maneuvering the motors 172 ofeach of the forms may be controllably pivoted on fixed wings; andoptionally in each of the forms the spar tubes of the wings 4, fixedlysupporting the motors, may be pivoted, as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 10,inside or on the cabin, thus increasing the maximum lift of the wingsand the propeller thrusts. As shown in these figures, the wing-pivotingassembly comprises: an element that is fixed to and pivotal with theinflated wing-spar tubes (which are epoxy-bonded together), consistingof: a plate of metal or reinforced plastic 175 that is bonded to thesetubes; a bar 176; flanges or pieces of plate, 177, that are welded orepoxy-bonded to the sheet 175, and to portions of the wing-spar tubes;and a bearing comprising a bearing pipe B, having bearing-surfacematerial on it; an arcuate fluid-motor piston rod 178 that is welded orepoxy-bonded to the bar 176; a double-acting piston 180, rectangular ina longitudinal section that is transverse to the cabin, welded orepoxy-bonded to the piston rod; and arcuate fluidmotor cylinder 181 (asegment of a cylinder) fixed to wall elements 103, 97 and 62 by bondingand flanges and/or brackets 182; an inner bearing ring R at each sidewall of the cabin, having a diameter approximately equal to thewing-chord distance across the bottom of the wing-spar tubes, fixed toand rotatable with these tubes and the sheet 175; and an outer bearingring and seal 184, fixed by bonding material and/or tabs within a holein the side wall at each side of the cabin. Within the bearing rings 184the two bearing rings R pivot (because the upper part of this ring 184is coaxial with the arcuate fluid-motor cylinder 181, this part is notshown in FIG. 1 For clarity of illustration, the pieces of plate 177(optionally two vertical walls of a closed box) are shown asintersecting only part of the wing-spar tubes 15 and 16 (FIGS. 1 and 9),but in practice these flanges (or box ends) preferably are between andsecurely bonded to sealing disks at adjacent ends of two coaxial tubes15 and two tubes 16. A support S optionally may be fixed to and betweenthe stationary bearing ring 184 and the partition 98.

SOME OPTIONAL DETAILS OF THE STRUCTURE FIGS. 22 and 24 illustrate twoarcuate-in-cross section cabin forms that utilize the flat-ended,strongly inflated, helium-filled tubes in the walls. In FIGS. 24 and 25the two flattened plies of of each of the tube ends have a middle,planar junctionthat lies in a plane 186 thatis a radial plane ofoptionally either a cylinder or a segmentally arcuate section of thecabin wall of the type of the four arcuate wall sections of FIG. 22).These planes converge at a center line of curvature of the inner andouter skins 189 and 190 of the cabin wall. This arrangement enables theinflated, round tubular elements between the flattened portions to abutfirmly and strengtheningly against each other, and yet there is spacebetween the curvingly tapered tube-end portions for the liquids of theoptionally used foam plastic 192 to flow around all of these tubes. InFIG. 25 the perpendicular arrangement of the flat, bonded-together tubeends is shown at two cabin corners that provide for glued attachment ofone end of the balloon 121.

FIG. 22 illustrates a barrel-curved cabin, with balloons (orlongitudinally arranged sets of balloon bags),

'121, 122 and 193, that extend from a plane at or near the extremeforward end of the cabin to a plane that is forward of theattitude-controlling rear end of the cabin. Thus the aerostatic centerlift is forward of the center of gravity. EAch of these balloon units121, 122, 193 and 218 is sausage-shaped, having an axis that is arcuatefrom end to end, and is positioned to slopingly engage the exteriorbarrel-curved surface of the cabin. With the aid of the sausage-shapedballonets 194 while at lower altitude, these balloon units maintainshapepreserving internal pressure on the substantially streamlinedenvelope 130.

The barrel-curved cabin tapers inward from its part of greatest bulge toits arcuate forward and rearward barrel-head-like ends; and the cabintubes are longitudinally curvedito conform with this barrel-like shape.

- The forward and rearward cabin endsare windowed at,

respectively, 196 and 197; and at the rear end landing gear of one ofthe above described types is mounted. The outer lines of across-sectional plane thru the cabin comprise a plurality of arcs, 198,199, 200, 201, 202, 203, 204 and 205, each of which has a center ofcurvature differentfrom that of the adjacent arcs. Each of the arcs 198,200, 202 and 204 has concentric radial planes that intersect the cabinwall at center lines between the longitudinal axesof the inflated tubesthat are contiguous to the skin 130 at that are. For example,

each of the concentric radial planes 206 intersects the wall at themiddle line between an adjacent pair of the tubes 207, this middle linepassing thru the line of attachment of the reinforcing rectangular bandsat the pair of flat ends (these bands being somewhat similar to theelements 89, but projecting laterally on each side of the weld line 54as it is illustrated in FIG. 3, for attachment of adjacent flat ends).And each of the concentric radial planes 208 (on both sides of thecabin) thus intersects the arc 200 (or 204) and the cabin wall at themiddle line between an adjacent pair of the tubes 209. And there is atleast one radial plane (210) for each of the barrel-curved corner arcs199, 201, 203 and 205, this plane passing thru the middle line between apair of the tubes 211. The under-deck spaces 212 and 214 may be utilizedin the forward and rear- Ward, load-carrying cabin sections for storageof luggage or other freight thru trap doors, and utilized in theextra-balloon-carrying middle cabin part for housing balloon bags. Foraid in trimming the craft this freight may be shifted toward the frontor the rear or laterally.

Some optional variations of the structure of FIG. 22: the flat ends ofthe cabin-wall tubes may be .and preferably are oriented like the flatends 215 of the tubes 216 of FIG. 24; and each of the cabins of FIGS. 22and 24 may be either barrel-curved or cylindrical. The balloons (orlongitudinal rows of balloon bags) 121, 122, 193 and 218 may bedisk-ended and disk-glued to cabin ells as indicated in FIG. 25, or maybe flat-ended and attached to the cabin as indicated in FIGS. 30 to 33.The balloons 218 of the fairings 219 optionally and preferably areimbedded in foam plastic, 220.

FIGS. 13 to 15 illustrate a simply made, flexibly bendable type ofresilient, flat-ended, helium-inflated tubular member, which is adaptedfor efficient use in making an angled joint in the cabin wall frame, forexample as in FIG. 12, or as in FIG. 25 at 222. The elongated,rectangular blank utilized is illustrated in FIG. 13. It may be made by:flattening a metallic or plastic extrusion; by welding or epoxy-glueingthe free, contig-' uous side edges of a bent strip of aluminum orplastic; or by welding or glueing both pairs of free, contiguous,

side edges of two pieces of metallic or plastic sheeting,

one of which is superposed on the other. Other steps of the fabricatingmethod are: l) hermetically welding or epoxy-bonding the ends of therectangular strip, optionally in a band between lines 223 and 224 orbetween 223 and 225. (2) Welding or epoxy-glueing the contiguous pliesat or between the lines 226 and 227 (this bonding optionally mayhermetically seal across the blank between these lines, or a pluralityof rows 228 of spot-bonding (or short seam welds) may be made, providingfor flow of gas between the welded or glued spots (glued with the aid ofapertures in one or both plies). (3) Drilling the holes 229 (forattachment of the tubular member to another structure); (4) hermeticallybonding by welding or epoxy putty one or more gas inlets 230 (valves, orpieces of short tubing to be flattened and bonded for a permanent gasseal) when the intermediate bonding is an hermetic band between 226 and227 a gas inlet for each of the flat-ended links I tallic fabric that isimpregnated with flexible plastic) to the flatter, flexible, bendabletubular portions.

After this manufacture, and as indicated in FIG. 14, the tubular membermay be bent at its intermediate flat-ended portions into any of variousangles, and fastened to other structure at this angle by'epoxy or otherbonding material and/or rivets or bolts.

FIG. 12 illustrates optional construction of a parti-.

tion for example the doorway-comprising wall 234 or 235 of FIG. 1 withuse of flat-ended tubular members of the type shown in FIGS. 14 and 15.Two or more of the deck tubular members have flat intermedi ate portionsbetween links 232; and above and below each of these portions chocks (orbeams), 236 and 237, are epoxy-bonded to each flat part. These curvinglyshaped chocks (or beams) may be of balsa wood or hollow metal, butpreferably are of molded plastic (preferably firm, reinforced, foamed orother plastic), shaped to fit the tubular-member tapering curves. Eachis fixed to an upright rod 238 (molded or glued in the chock if it is ofplastic, otherwise glued or welded). These screwthreaded rods preferablyare of the common, screwthreaded type, two to three feet long, and thusthey stand higher above the deck sheeting or plate 240 than the rodexampled in FIG. 12. After the decking 240 is bonded to the deck tubesand around the rods 238 an interior-wall-bottom chock or filler piece241, preferably of firm, molded plastic, is threaded down over the rod.This chock is short, and has a top surface that is curvingly tapereddownward toward the decking in a direction normal to the plane of thepaper of FIG. 14 to conform to the tapering curvatures of the lowest ofthe stacked tubular members of the partition. Its curvatures on eachside of the flat band thus are similar to 242 in FIG. 23. Next, anattachment hole 229 (FIG. 15) in a flat, sealed portion between 226 and227 of the lowest tubular member is threaded over the rod and bonded tothe chock 241. And then over this another chock, 244, curved to fitbetween the tapering curvatures of two of the stacked tubes, similar tothe chock 245 or 253 of FIG. 23, is threaded on the rod and bonded to aflat tubular-member portion 246. This chock 244 is thicker than 241; andall chocks above 244 to a level near the top of the partition are shapedlike 244. As illustrated in FIG. 12, the upper end of the rod 238 liesbelow the top surface of one of the chocks 244 by a distance equal toapproximately half the thickness of the relatively thick nut 247. Thisnut (preferably round in perimeter and having recesses in its top toreceive a pronged wrench) is screwed tightly down on the rod and into arecess in 244. Epoxy glue is then dropped into the recess and around thenut; and into this recess a second threaded rod, 248, is tightly screweddown into the top half of the nut against the top of rod 238, and intocontact with the unset epoxy. After this, other flat tubular-memberportions (249) and other chocks (250) are bonded together on the rod 238to the top of the partition.

FIG. 23 shows an outer corner of the cabin wall for example, like one ofthe cabin corners of FIG. 1 in which orthogonally arranged flat tubeends, 252, are joined and bonded together with the use of taperinglycurved chocks somewhat like those of FIG. 12. Optionally and as shownthese chocks may be of balsa or other light-weight wood, as at .253, orplastic, as at 245. When they are of molded plastic they preferablycontain inflated, egg-shaped, spherical or cylindrical inflated shellsof plastic, thin metal or glass, as indicated at 254 and 255. Theseshells add light-weight strength to the chocks. In this figure no rodslike 238 are shown; but, as in FIG. 12, such rods are optional. The foamplastic 256, formed by pouring in situ foaming-liquid plastic materialsbetween parallel wall sheets and around parts of the tapering tubecurves, is also optional in both these figures.

OPERATION Preferably the center of gravity of the craft is in a lower,after part of the cabin, for example at 258 (FIG. 18). And when thevehicle is empty the center of aerostatic lift (260) is forward of theplane thru 258 that is normal to the vehicles longitudinal axis and isabove the fore-and-aft, horizontal plane thru 258. This center ofaerostatic lift is thus in a position that on the ground will cause theaerostatic force and its lever arm to the fulcrum of the axis of thewheel 138 to produce sufficient torque to elevate the forward end of theempty craft into the inclination, for example, of FIG. 18 (with thecrafts fore-and-aft axis at about thirty degrees to the horizontal).

While the vehicle is stationary on the ground or other landing surface,this inclination does not exceed the desired angle in the neighborhoodof thirty degrees for the following reasons. When the unloaded craft hasits forward end forcibly pulled down until its longitudinal axis issubstantially horizontal, and the hold-down force is then released, theforward end rises against gravity exerted at point 258 due to theaerostatic lift at 260. This aerostatic force acts like human hands on awheelbarrow, lifting the weight at 260 about the fulcrum at the axis ofthe wheel 138. The weight at 258 is a downward force that acts on alever arm whose length is determined by the distance between 258 and theaxis of 138; while the aerostatic lift is an upward force that acts on alever arm to the fulcrum of 138 whose length is determined by thedistance between 260 and the axis of 138. But when the rear wheel 140comes downward into rest on the ground or other landing surface, andtends to become the fulcrum about which the weight at 258 might befurther lifted, the lever system has changed. The force of the weight at258 is now acting on a longer lever arm to the fulcrum of the axis of140.. This lever arm thus has increased by more than a fourth of theprevious lever-arm lentgh; whereas the lever arm between 258 and 260 hasremained the same, and the proportion of increase in length of the leverarm between the aerostatic lift at 260 and the fulcrum is small. Thusmore force at 260 would be required to lift the wheels 138 off thelanding surface and further incline the craft toward the vertical. Butthe aerostatic means and the landing-gear elements 138 and 140 are soconstructed, proportioned and arranged that, while the craft isstationary on a landing surface, loaded as illustrated in FIG. 1 orunloaded as illustrated in FIG. 18, the wheels or the like 138-are notlifted off the surface. Unloaded and untethered, the craft when at reston the ground stabilizes at approximately the inclination of FIG. 18;loaded and untethered while thus on the ground, it stabilizes at aninclination similar to that of FIG. 1. Once in the air, it tends to besteeply inclined, with the center of buoyancy 260 over the center ofgravity 258. The rear elevating propeller 1 (and/or the elevators andwing flaps) place the craft in the desired inclination for climbing orlevel attitude in cruising flight. Also when, as is optional, the wingsare slightly rearward of the center of gravity they aid in securing thedesired normal attitude.

In loading, the vehicle preferably is pulled down (by block and tackleor the like) until its longitudinal axis is substantially parallel tothe ground (with the wheel or wheels 140 off the ground). (This step ofthe operation may be eliminated, with the passengers and crew enteringthe craft thru the door 94 from a ladder, hinged gangway, or elevatedplatform.)

In taking off, the following actions occur: l the forward end of theloaded craft is free to assume an inclination similar to that of FIG. 1;(2) the forward elevator 47 and the wing flaps are set for their maximumlift when underway; (3) the elevating propeller l is rotated to produceits maximum thrust, and the steering propeller 36 is operated atsufficient thrust to counteract the vehicle-yawing torque of thepropeller l; (4) the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 10, the

pilot may rotate the wings until they have a non-stalling angle ofattack despite the steeply inclined attitude,

and the craft has a short run at a steep angle comparable to that shownin FIG. 18 near to but less than forty-five degrees with both thenon-stalled wings and the bottom of the vehicle providing lift at thissteep angle; (6) after a short run the craft takes off and climbs at asteep angle, but one that does not involve a stalling angle of attack ofthe wings. When the inventive form that comprises non-rigid balloonsheathing is utilized: during this climb, air-exhaust valves, connectedto the ballonets 129, automatically are opened to gradually empty theballonets of air at higher altitudes, thus safely keeping the flexibleenvelope 130 distended into streamlined condition.

In leveling off at the desired altitude, and getting underway at belowthe cruising speed: (1) the rearward and forward elevators 3 and 47 areset to produce little drag or torques about the center of gravity; (2)the engines 172 are set for cruising speed; the thrust of the elevatingpropeller l is reduced as the wing lift increases with theforward-speed, and adjusted until the craft is in level flight. Itsattitude in pitch is now optionally controlled by the elevatingpropeller 1 and/or the rear elevator 3; and its attitude in yaw iscontrolled by the steering propeller 36 and/or the rudder.

In a normal landing: (l) the thrust of the propellers 174 is greatlyreduced; the elevators 3 and 47 and the wing flaps are set for maximumornear-maxinium lift; (3) the thrust of the elevating propeller 1 isadjusted until it holds the craft in a steep, non-stalling angle (forexample, as in FIG. 1); and with maximum safe angle of attack of thewings the vehicle, having a net low weight, landsin a short run.

In emergency due to failure of one or both of the engines 172 thevehicle lands as stated above. In emergency due to failure of theelevatingpropeller assembly 1-2 and/or of the steering propeller 36 therear elevator 3 is set for its maximum lift and the forward elevator 147is set at a negative angle of attack, producing enough nose-depressingtorque about the center of gravity to hold the craft in an attitude thatdoesnot entail a stalling angle of attack of the wings; and thus thecraft safely lands.

The form of the invention shown in FIG. 26

comprises: the cab in or load-holding body 262; the

balloons 121, 122, 264 and 128, encompassing the cabin; an annular skin266, surrounding these balloons; flat-ended tubes 154 and 154M (of whichat least one, 154M, is a thin-skinned, lighter'than-air unit, thesetubes serving to fill out and flatten the bottom of the vethe turbojetor rocket type. When it is a rocket'motor the air conduit 268 iseliminated.

Various changes in the specific structure disclosed may be made withoutdeparting from the principles of the invention. For example, in asmaller, more easily controllable version the attitude-controllingpropellers l and 36 may be eliminated, and the maximum lift of theelevator 3 is greatly increased.

This invented vehicle optionally may be: much heavier than air; slightlyheavier than air both at takeoff and in landing; or when partiallyloaded with fuel at takeoff heavier than air and after consumption ofasubstantial amount of the fuel lighter than air. When, in the last-namedoption, the vehicle at the time of landing is lighter than air it isforced to dive downward by pivoting both the forward elevator 47 and therear elevator 3 into negative angles of attack.

In the following claims, unless otherwise qualified, the term tubularmember signifies: a single tube or can or a plurality of end-connectedtubular articles, of any cross-sectional shape; gaseous material means:any pure gas or air or other gaseous mixture; or gascell-containing foamplastic or other gas-containing insulating material; plasticz anynatural or synthetic plastic, including rubber; bonding material zwelding, brazing, soldering or glue material, such as epoxy putty;roundedz arcuate in cross section (circular, oblong or the like); andwindowed elements signifies doors or windows permitting vision thruthem.

I claim:

1. A winged vehicle, adapted to move thru the atmosphere, capable oftaking off and landing with a steep angle of attack of its wing means,-comprising:

a load-holding body;

aerostatic means,'connected to the said body, comprising skin means andlighter-than-air gas within the skin means having a center of lift thatis forward of a plane that contains the center of gravity of the bodyand is normal to its longitudinal axis and above a plane that isparallel to said axis and contains the center of gravity, exerting atorque about the center of gravity tending to raise the forward part ofthe vehicle above its stern and to incline its longitudinal axis at amaximum. angle that is less than sixty degrees of inclination to ahorizontal plane;

winged means exerting lift on the craft when it is underway;

controllably, adjustable stern-elevating means, rearward of the centerof gravity, providing a controllable torque about the center of gravityin opposition to the torque of the said aerostatic means, andat itsmaximum capable of overbalancing the torque of the aerostatic means andlowering the bow ofthe craft below its stern; and I means for movingsaid vehicle thru the air;

the said load-holding body having walls that include resilient tubularmembers and gaseous material,

comprising gas, in said members, each of at least some of said tubularmembers including a pair of spaced end parts and a plurality ofend-joined inflated links between said end parts;

each of the said end parts comprising: a rounded portion; asubstantially flat tubular-member end that includes two closely adjacentplies of tubular material, joined together, and having a relativelybroad span in one direction and a relatively narrow span 3 ,80 1 ,044 21in another direction, and curved, tapering surfaces slanting inward fromsaid rounded portion to said broad span, and curved, tapering surfacesslanting outward from said rounded portion to said narrow span; 5 eachof the said links having: a rounded middle portion; a pair of spaced,wider, flatter and thinner link-end portions, each wider portion beingjoined to an adjacent link and comprising small amounts of bondingmaterial between adjacent plies of the tubular-member material, saidsmall amounts being spaced in a direction across the width of said widerportion to allow flow of said gas between adjacent links; curved,tapering surfaces slanting inward from said middle portion to said widerportion; and curved, tapering surfaces slanting outward from said middleportion to the thinner part of said wider portion.

2. A vehicle, adapted to move thru the atmosphere, capable of taking offand landing with its longitudinal axis at a steep angle of inclinationto a horizontal plane, comprising:

a load-holding body having a top and a bottom that vehicle is in theair, to incline its longitudinal axis in a positive angle of inclinationto a--horizontal plane having a maximum value of less than eightydegrees;

attitude-controlling means at a rearpart of the vehicle, exerting torqueon it about said center of gravity that is in opposition to the torqueof said aerostatic means; and

means for providing forward translation of said body;

the said body having walls that include tubular members and gaseousmaterial, comprising gas, in said members comprising a pair of spacedend parts and a plurality of end-joined inflated links between said endparts;

each of the said end parts comprising: a rounded portion; asubstantially flat tubular-member end that includes two adjacent pliesof tubular material, joined together, having a relatively broad span inone direction and a relatively narrow span in another direction, andcurved, tapering surfaces members, each of at least some of said tubularare imperforate from the body s forward end to the sive means ofcontrollable thrust, having an upright axis, and providing acontrollable, stern-lifting torque about the center of gravity that isin opposition to the torque of the said aerostatic means;

slanting inward from said rounded portion to said vicinity of thevehicle,s center of g y 25 broad span, and curved, tapering surfacesslanting outward from said rounded ortion to said narrow aerostaticmeans, connected to and encompassing a Span p ma'or ortion of said bod,com risin skin means Q d IigZIeFthaWaiY g Wiythin means hav each of thesaid links havmg: a rounded middle portion; a air of 5 ac d, wider,flatter and thinner mg a center of lift that is forward of a plane thatis k p e h b d normal to said longitudinal axis and contains said Sgzzgz ii zl zi l z s f ggzi center of gravity and is above a plane thatis normal Slanti g rd from Said to said to said first-named plane andcontains said center ng p of gravity exerting a torque on said bodyabout the i' portion and P i tapermg surfaces slamcemer of gravityending to raise its forward part mg outward from said middle portion tothe thinner above its stern and, when in the air, to incline its Saldwider 99 longitudinal axis at an angle of over thirty degrees the Saldwalls Compnsing s pa( :e'fiumg ChQCkS adla' and less than ninety degreesto a horizontal plane cent to at least some of said link-end portions;each in which the center of aerostatic lift is substantially of Samchoclfs havmg a mlddle part that thlcker direcfly above the Center ofgravity. than each of its ends and curvmgly tapered surfacesstern-elevating, vehicle-attitude-controlling, propul- 4O shaped toconform to pomons of Sam tubular member curved, tapering surfaces,filling space between adjacent tubular members and strengthening them attheir junction.

5. A vehicle as set forth in claim 4, including: winged means forforwardly moving said vehicle thru the air;

and winged means on the bottom of the vehicle for aerodynamicallylifting said body when the vehicle is underway, comprising tubesconnected to bottom portions of said aerostatic means and gas means,exerting lift on the craft when it is underway; and orthogonallyarranged body walls, including at least some of said tubular members andchocks.

6. A vehicle as set forth in claim 4, in which said chocks comprisemolded plastic.

under above-atmospheric pressure in said tubes A Vehicle adapted to movethru the atmosphere, and lower skin means sheathing at least bottomincluding: portions of said tubes; the said aerostatic means, a l g y;tubes and lower skin means being constructed and aerostatic means,Connected to the said body, arranged to provide a substantiallongitudinal and prisiflg Skin "l Covering at least the p forwardtransverse extent of the lower skin means which is Portion of id ody, ad B tending rearward to at i li d t h di ti f f d motion d least a planethat passes through the vicinity of the produces an aerodynamic lift onthe vehicle during center of gravity and is normal to the vehicleslonforward translation relative to the air. gitudinal axis, saidaerostatic means including a 3. A vehicle as set forth in claim 2, inwhich the said plurality of balloon units containing lighter-thantubeshave round middle portions and flat ends 4. A vehicle, capable oftraversing the air, comprismg:

a load-holding body, including at least one pair of orthogonallyarranged walls; aerostatic means for exerting a lifting force on saidbody, having a center of lift that is forward of the center of gravityof the vehicle, tending when the air gas, and having a center of liftthat is forward of a plane that contains the center of gravity of thebody and is normal to its longitudinal axis, and above a plane that isnormal to said first-named plane and contains the center of gravity,exerting a torque about the center of gravity tending to raise theforward part of the vehicle above its stern and to incline itslongitudinal axis in an angle of inclination to a horizontal plane thatis less than ninety degrees;

controllably adjustable stern-elevating means, rearward of the center ofgravity, exerting a torque on said body in opposition to the torque ofthe aerostatic, means; and

means for moving said vehicle forward thru the air;

at least one of the said balloon units having: a

rounded middle portion; substantially flat end portions, at least one ofwhich extends substantially vertically into the air when the vehicle isin normal flight, acting as a stabilizer each of said. flat end portionscomprising two closely adjacent plies of tubular material joinedtogether and having a relatively broad span in one direction and arelatively narrow span in another direction; curved, tapering surfacesat each end of the unit that slant inward from said rounded middleportion to said broad spans; and curved tapering surfaces at each end ofthe unit that slant outward from said rounded middle portion to saidnarrow spans.

8. A vehicle as set forth in claim 7, further including winged meansexerting an aerodynamic lift on the craft when it is underway, in which:the said angle of inclination is less than sixty degrees; and the saidsternelevating means provides a torque that at its maximum is capable ofoverbalancing the torque of said aerostatic means and lowering the bowof the craft below its stern. I

9. A vehicle as set forth in claim 7, in which at least one of saidballoon units has: a said flat end'portion adjacent the bow of thevehicle, with its said broad span of closely adjacent plies extending ina normally horizontal direction; and a said flat end portion at arearward part of the vehicle, with its said broad span of closelyadjacent plies extending in a normally vertical directiomportions, eachof said end portions comprising two closely adjacent plies of tubularmaterial joined together and having a relatively broad span in onedirection and a relatively narrow span in another; curved, taperingsurfaces slanting inward from said rounded middle portions to said broadspans; and curved, tapering surfaces slanting outward from said roundedmiddle portions to said arrow spans.

10. A dirigiblelike vehicle, heavier than air, at least when loaded,adapted to move thru the atmosphere, capable of taking off and landingwith its longitudinal axis at a steep angle of inclination to ahorizontal plane, comprising:

a load-holding body, having a top and a bottom that are imperforate fromthe bodys forward end to the vicinity of the vehicles center of gravity;

aerostatic means, connected to the said body, comprising skin means andlighter-than-air gas within the skin means having a center of lift thatis well forward of a plane that is normal to said longitudinal axis andcontains the center of gravity of the vehicle and above a plane that isnormal to said firstnamed plane and contains the center of gravity,exerting a torque about said center of gravity tending, when the vehicleis up in the air, to raise its stern and to incline its longitudinalaxis at a steep angle of inclination of less than ninety degrees and ofat least twenty-five degrees to a horizontal plane, with the center ofaerostatic lift substantially vertically above said center of gravity;

stem-elevating, vehicle-attitude-controlling, propulsive means ofcontrollable thrust, having an upright axis and providing astem-lifting, controllable torque about the center of gravity that is inopposition to the torque of said aerostatic means; winged means,connected to said body, having a center of aerodynamic lift when thevehicle is underway that is between said stern-elevating means and saidcenter of aerostatic lift;

means providing forward motion of the vehicle;

landing-gear means, holding said vehicle while stationary in an angle ofinclination that is less than said steep angle, comprising at least onepair of foreand-aft-spaced sternward landing-gear elements, mounted onsaid body at a location rearward of said center of gravity and forwardof the rearmost end of the vehicle; the said landing-gear means and saidaerostatic means being so constructed and arranged that, while thevehicle is at rest on a landing surface, landing-gear elements acts as afulcrum of a lever arm between said forward one of said elements andsaid center of aerostatic lift and the rearward one of said pair acts asa stop, preventing said aerostatic lift from elevating the vehicle intosaid steep angle of inclination.

11. A vehicle as set forth in claim 10, in which: the rear-end portionof the bottom of said body rearwardly slopes upward toward the rearmostend of the body; the said landing-gear elements arefore-and-aft-arranged landing-gear means, mounted onthe body at saidrearward and upward sloping portion of its bottom, providing fulcrumsfor the counteracting leverages of said aerostatic means and the weightof the vehicle effective at said center of gravity, the rearwardlanding-gear means being spaced a substantial distance rearward of theforward landing-gear means and when at rest on a landing surfaceproviding a subtantially longer lever arm and greater leverage betweenthe fulcrum of its axis and the center of gravity than the lever arm andleverage between the axis of said forward landing-gear means and thecenter of gravity, resisting the tendency of the aerostatic means tolift the forward landing-gear means off the said surface.

12. A vehicle as set forth in claim 10, in which: said aerostatic meanscomprises upper and lower balloons; and the said body compriseswindowedelements between the upper and lower balloons.

13. A vehicle as set forth in claim 10, in which: the rear-end portionof the bottom of said body rearwardly slopes upward toward the rearmostend of the body; the said landing-gear means comprises twofore-and-aftspaced pairs of landing-gear elements, mounted on the bodyat said rearward and upward sloping portion of its bottom, each pair ofsaid elements being at a substantially equal distance from said centerof gravity, the said elements at their axes providing fulcrums for thecounteracting leverages of the aerostatic means and of the weight of thevehicle effective at the center of gravity, the rearward pair of saidelements beingspaced a substantial distance from the forward pair andwhen at rest on a landing surface providing a substantially longer leverarm and greater leverage between the fulcrum of each of their axes andthe center of gravity than the lever arm and leverage between each ofthe axes of said forward pair of elements and the center of gravity.

1. A winged vehicle, adapted to move thru the atmosphere, capable oftaking off and landing with a steep angle of attack of its wing means,comprising: a load-holding body; aerostatic means, connected to the saidbody, comprising skin means and lighter-than-air gas within the skinmeans having a center of lift that is forward of a plane that containsthe center of gravity of the body and is normal to its longitudinal axisand above a plane that Is parallel to said axis and contains the centerof gravity, exerting a torque about the center of gravity tending toraise the forward part of the vehicle above its stern and to incline itslongitudinal axis at a maximum angle that is less than sixty degrees ofinclination to a horizontal plane; winged means exerting lift on thecraft when it is underway; controllably adjustable stern-elevatingmeans, rearward of the center of gravity, providing a controllabletorque about the center of gravity in opposition to the torque of thesaid aerostatic means, and at its maximum capable of overbalancing thetorque of the aerostatic means and lowering the bow of the craft belowits stern; and means for moving said vehicle thru the air; the saidload-holding body having walls that include resilient tubular membersand gaseous material, comprising gas, in said members, each of at leastsome of said tubular members including a pair of spaced end parts and aplurality of endjoined inflated links between said end parts; each ofthe said end parts comprising: a rounded portion; a substantially flattubular-member end that includes two closely adjacent plies of tubularmaterial, joined together, and having a relatively broad span in onedirection and a relatively narrow span in another direction, and curved,tapering surfaces slanting inward from said rounded portion to saidbroad span, and curved, tapering surfaces slanting outward from saidrounded portion to said narrow span; each of the said links having: arounded middle portion; a pair of spaced, wider, flatter and thinnerlink-end portions, each wider portion being joined to an adjacent linkand comprising small amounts of bonding material between adjacent pliesof the tubular-member material, said small amounts being spaced in adirection across the width of said wider portion to allow flow of saidgas between adjacent links; curved, tapering surfaces slanting inwardfrom said middle portion to said wider portion; and curved, taperingsurfaces slanting outward from said middle portion to the thinner partof said wider portion.
 2. A vehicle, adapted to move thru theatmosphere, capable of taking off and landing with its longitudinal axisat a steep angle of inclination to a horizontal plane, comprising: aload-holding body having a top and a bottom that are imperforate fromthe body''s forward end to the vicinity of the vehicle''s center ofgravity; aerostatic means, connected to and encompassing a major portionof said body, comprising skin means and lighter-than-air gas within theskin means having a center of lift that is forward of a plane that isnormal to said longitudinal axis and contains said center of gravity andis above a plane that is normal to said first-named plane and containssaid center of gravity, exerting a torque on said body about the centerof gravity tending to raise its forward part above its stern and, whenin the air, to incline its longitudinal axis at an angle of over thirtydegrees and less than ninety degrees to a horizontal plane, in which thecenter of aerostatic lift is substantially directly above the center ofgravity; stern-elevating, vehicle-attitude-controlling, propulsive meansof controllable thrust, having an upright axis, and providing acontrollable, stern-lifting torque about the center of gravity that isin opposition to the torque of the said aerostatic means; means forforwardly moving said vehicle thru the air; and winged means on thebottom of the vehicle for aerodynamically lifting said body when thevehicle is underway, comprising tubes connected to bottom portions ofsaid aerostatic means and gas under above-atmospheric pressure in saidtubes and lower skin means sheathing at least bottom portions of saidtubes; the said aerostatic means, tubes and lower skin means beingconstructed and arranged to provide a substantial longitudinal andtransverse extent of the lower skin means which is inclined to thedirection of forward motion and producEs an aerodynamic lift on thevehicle during forward translation relative to the air.
 3. A vehicle asset forth in claim 2, in which the said tubes have round middle portionsand flat ends.
 4. A vehicle, capable of traversing the air, comprising:a load-holding body, including at least one pair of orthogonallyarranged walls; aerostatic means for exerting a lifting force on saidbody, having a center of lift that is forward of the center of gravityof the vehicle, tending when the vehicle is in the air, to incline itslongitudinal axis in a positive angle of inclination to a horizontalplane having a maximum value of less than eighty degrees;attitude-controlling means at a rear part of the vehicle, exertingtorque on it about said center of gravity that is in opposition to thetorque of said aerostatic means; and means for providing forwardtranslation of said body; the said body having walls that includetubular members and gaseous material, comprising gas, in said members,each of at least some of said tubular members comprising a pair ofspaced end parts and a plurality of end-joined inflated links betweensaid end parts; each of the said end parts comprising: a roundedportion; a substantially flat tubular-member end that includes twoadjacent plies of tubular material, joined together, having a relativelybroad span in one direction and a relatively narrow span in anotherdirection, and curved, tapering surfaces slanting inward from saidrounded portion to said broad span, and curved, tapering surfacesslanting outward from said rounded portion to said narrow span; each ofthe said links having: a rounded middle portion; a pair of spaced,wider, flatter and thinner link-end portions, each wider portion beingjoined to an adjacent link; curved, tapering, surfaces slanting inwardfrom said middle portion to said wider portion; and curved, taperingsurfaces slanting outward from said middle portion to the thinner partof said wider portion; the said walls comprising space-filling chocksadjacent to at least some of said link-end portions; each of said chockshaving a middle part that is thicker than each of its ends and curvinglytapered surfaces shaped to conform to portions of said tubular-membercurved, tapering surfaces, filling space between adjacent tubularmembers and strengthening them at their junction.
 5. A vehicle as setforth in claim 4, including: winged means, exerting lift on the craftwhen it is underway; and orthogonally arranged body walls, including atleast some of said tubular members and chocks.
 6. A vehicle as set forthin claim 4, in which said chocks comprise molded plastic.
 7. A vehicleadapted to move thru the atmosphere, including: a load-holding body;aerostatic means, connected to the said body, comprising skin meanscovering at least the top forward portion of said body, and extendingrearward to at least a plane that passes through the vicinity of thecenter of gravity and is normal to the vehicle''s longitudinal axis,said aerostatic means including a plurality of balloon units containinglighter-than-air gas, and having a center of lift that is forward of aplane that contains the center of gravity of the body and is normal toits longitudinal axis, and above a plane that is normal to saidfirst-named plane and contains the center of gravity, exerting a torqueabout the center of gravity tending to raise the forward part of thevehicle above its stern and to incline its longitudinal axis in an angleof inclination to a horizontal plane that is less than ninety degrees;controllably adjustable stern-elevating means, rearward of the center ofgravity, exerting a torque on said body in opposition to the torque ofthe aerostatic means; and means for moving said vehicle forward thru theair; at least one of the said balloon units having: a rounded middleportion; substantially flat end portions, at least one of which extendssubstantially vertically into the air when the vehicle is in normalflight, acting as a stabilizer each of said flat end portions comprisingtwo closely adjacent plies of tubular material joined together andhaving a relatively broad span in one direction and a relatively narrowspan in another direction; curved, tapering surfaces at each end of theunit that slant inward from said rounded middle portion to said broadspans; and curved tapering surfaces at each end of the unit that slantoutward from said rounded middle portion to said narrow spans.
 8. Avehicle as set forth in claim 7, further including winged means exertingan aerodynamic lift on the craft when it is underway, in which: the saidangle of inclination is less than sixty degrees; and the saidstern-elevating means provides a torque that at its maximum is capableof overbalancing the torque of said aerostatic means and lowering thebow of the craft below its stern.
 9. A vehicle as set forth in claim 7,in which at least one of said balloon units has: a said flat end portionadjacent the bow of the vehicle, with its said broad span of closelyadjacent plies extending in a normally horizontal direction; and a saidflat end portion at a rearward part of the vehicle, with its said broadspan of closely adjacent plies extending in a normally verticaldirection; portions, each of said end portions comprising two closelyadjacent plies of tubular material joined together and having arelatively broad span in one direction and a relatively narrow span inanother; curved, tapering surfaces slanting inward from said roundedmiddle portions to said broad spans; and curved, tapering surfacesslanting outward from said rounded middle portions to said arrow spans.10. A dirigible-like vehicle, heavier than air, at least when loaded,adapted to move thru the atmosphere, capable of taking off and landingwith its longitudinal axis at a steep angle of inclination to ahorizontal plane, comprising: a load-holding body, having a top and abottom that are imperforate from the body''s forward end to the vicinityof the vehicle''s center of gravity; aerostatic means, connected to thesaid body, comprising skin means and lighter-than-air gas within theskin means having a center of lift that is well forward of a plane thatis normal to said longitudinal axis and contains the center of gravityof the vehicle and above a plane that is normal to said first-namedplane and contains the center of gravity, exerting a torque about saidcenter of gravity tending, when the vehicle is up in the air, to raiseits stern and to incline its longitudinal axis at a steep angle ofinclination of less than ninety degrees and of at least twenty-fivedegrees to a horizontal plane, with the center of aerostatic liftsubstantially vertically above said center of gravity; stern-elevating,vehicle-attitude-controlling, propulsive means of controllable thrust,having an upright axis and providing a stern-lifting, controllabletorque about the center of gravity that is in opposition to the torqueof said aerostatic means; winged means, connected to said body, having acenter of aerodynamic lift when the vehicle is underway that is betweensaid stern-elevating means and said center of aerostatic lift; meansproviding forward motion of the vehicle; landing-gear means, holdingsaid vehicle while stationary in an angle of inclination that is lessthan said steep angle, comprising at least one pair offore-and-aft-spaced sternward landing-gear elements, mounted on saidbody at a location rearward of said center of gravity and forward of therearmost end of the vehicle; the said landing-gear means and saidaerostatic means being so constructed and arranged that, while thevehicle is at rest on a landing surface, landing-gear elements acts as afulcrum of a lever arm between said forward one of said elements andsaid center of aerostatic lift and the rearward one of said pair acts asa stop, preventing said aerostatic lift from elevating the vehicle intosaid steep angle of inclination.
 11. A vehicle as set forth in claim 10,in which: the rear-end portion of the bottom of said body rearwardlyslopes upward toward the rearmost end of the body; the said landing-gearelements are fore-and-aft-arranged landing-gear means, mounted on thebody at said rearward and upward sloping portion of its bottom,providing fulcrums for the counteracting leverages of said aerostaticmeans and the weight of the vehicle effective at said center of gravity,the rearward landing-gear means being spaced a substantial distancerearward of the forward landing-gear means and when at rest on a landingsurface providing a subtantially longer lever arm and greater leveragebetween the fulcrum of its axis and the center of gravity than the leverarm and leverage between the axis of said forward landing-gear means andthe center of gravity, resisting the tendency of the aerostatic means tolift the forward landing-gear means off the said surface.
 12. A vehicleas set forth in claim 10, in which: said aerostatic means comprisesupper and lower balloons; and the said body comprises windowed elementsbetween the upper and lower balloons.
 13. A vehicle as set forth inclaim 10, in which: the rear-end portion of the bottom of said bodyrearwardly slopes upward toward the rearmost end of the body; the saidlanding-gear means comprises two fore-and-aft-spaced pairs oflanding-gear elements, mounted on the body at said rearward and upwardsloping portion of its bottom, each pair of said elements being at asubstantially equal distance from said center of gravity, the saidelements at their axes providing fulcrums for the counteractingleverages of the aerostatic means and of the weight of the vehicleeffective at the center of gravity, the rearward pair of said elementsbeing spaced a substantial distance from the forward pair and when atrest on a landing surface providing a substantially longer lever arm andgreater leverage between the fulcrum of each of their axes and thecenter of gravity than the lever arm and leverage between each of theaxes of said forward pair of elements and the center of gravity.
 14. Avehicle as set forth in claim 12, in which: the said landing-gearelements are wheels; the said body comprises as part of its rear-endportion two pairs of upright, wheel-supporting plates, one pair of theseplates being at one side of the vehicle and the other pair of saidplates being at the other side of the vehicle; and onefore-and-aft-aligned pair of the said wheels are mounted between eachpair of said plates.
 15. A vehicle as set forth in claim 14, furthercomprising: two upright, vehicle-stabilizing fins, extending above theupper outlines of said body, the said fins being joined at their basesto upper portions of two of said plates; a horizontal-type stabilizerbridging over the space between said fins, having end edges that arejoined to upper edges of the fins; and a pair of rudders hinged torear-edge portions of two of said plates.
 16. A ballooned, wingedvehicle, adapted to move thru the atmosphere, capable of taking off andlanding with its longitudinal axis at a steep angle of inclination to ahorizontal plane, comprising: a load-holding body; aerostatic means,connected to the said body, comprising skin means and lighter-than-airgas within the skin means having a center of aerostatic lift that isforward of a plane that is normal to said longitudinal axis and containsthe center of gravity of the vehicle and is above a plane that is normalto said first-named plane and contains said center of gravity, astraight line between the said center of lift and center of gravitymaking an angle with said longitudinal axis of at least twenty-fivedegrees and less than eighty degrees, the said aerostatic means exertinga torque about the center of gravity tending, when the vehicle is up inthe air, to raise its forward part above its stern and to incline itslongitudinal axis at an angle of at least twenty-five degrees and lessthan eighty degrees to a horizontal plane, with the cEnter of aerostaticlift substantially directly above the center of gravity; winged meanshaving a center of aerodynamic lift when the vehicle is underway that isin a plane which is transverse to said longitudinal axis and in thevicinity of the vehicle''s center of gravity; stern-elevating,vehicle-attitude-controlling, propulsive means of controllable thrust,having an upright axis and providing a controllable, stern-liftingtorque about the center of gravity that is in opposition to the torqueof the said aerostatic means and at its maximum at least balances thetorque of the aerostatic means; other vehicle-attitude-controllingmeans, mounted on said body, for raising the vehicle''s forward endabove its stern and lowering its forward end below its stern; and meansfor forwardly moving said vehicle thru the air; said body having a topand a bottom that are imperforate from the body''s forward end to thevicinity of said center of gravity.
 17. A vehicle as set forth in claim16, in which said winged means comprises an elongated flat surface onthe bottom of the vehicle, having an angle of attack in said taking offand landing.
 18. A vehicle as set forth in claim 16, over thirty feet inlength, in which: said tubular members are elongated and compriseflexible, ductile wall material; and said gaseous material comprises gasunder pressure well above that of the atmosphere.
 19. A vehicle as setforth in claim 16, in which: said load-holding body has forward, middleand rear parts; portions of said forward and rear parts project outwardbeyond exterior outlines of said middle part in spaced substantiallyplanar, balloon-holding walls; and said aerostatic means comprisesdisk-ended balloon units, having end disks juxtaposed to surfaces ofsaid balloon-holding walls; and glue between said juxtaposed surfacesand end disks.
 20. A vehicle as set forth in claim 16, in which saidstern-elevating means comprises a wind-channel tube extending from a topportion to a bottom portion of the craft and a rotary propeller in saidtube; the said vehicle comprising a second rotary propeller, ofcontrollable thrust, counteracting the vehicle-yawing torque of saidfirst-named propeller, and serving as a means for steering the craft.21. A vehicle as set forth in claim 16 that is heavier than air.
 22. Avehicle as set forth in claim 16, in which: said means for moving thevehicle thru the air comprises fuel-consuming motors; the said vehiclesupports a substantial quantity of fuel at takeoff; the vehicle isheavier than air in taking off and lighter-than-air after said motorshave consume a substantial amount of said fuel; said stern-elevatingmeans comprises a pivoted elevator, adjustable to have a positive ornegative angle of attack; and the vehicle comprises a pivoted, elevatingplane, pivotally mounted at a forward part of said body, andcontrollable to have a positive or a negative angle of attack.
 23. Avehicle as set forth in claim 16, in which: its rear part comprises abottom having a streamlined forward bottom surface, exposed in flight toambient air, that is more nearly horizontal than the rear-end portion ofthe bottom, and having a rear bottom surface, exposed in flight toambient air, sloping upward from its forward end, which is adjacent tothe said forward surface, to the rearmost end of the craft; and saidvehicle comprises landing-gear means at said rear surface, forfacilitating taking off and landing with respect to atakeoff-and-landing medium, the lowermost edges of said landing-gearmeans, after landing of the vehicle, being in contact with said medium.24. A vehicle as set forth in claim 16, comprising: an annular windchannel, connected to said body; powered steering means mounted withinsaid wind channel; auxiliary steering means, usable in event of failureof said powered steering means, comprising a rudder, normally infore-and-aft, substantial alignment with said wind channel; and fairingmeans, streamlinedly positioned between said rudder and wind channel.25. A vehicle as set forth in claim 16, in which: the said bodycomprises forward and rear parts and an elongated middle part, the saidforward and rear parts having fore-and-aft-spaced wall portions that jutoutward from and are joined to said middle part; a plurality oflighter-than-air units, supported by and between said spaced wallportions; numerous elongated, stiffly resilient tubular members,providing a vehicle-strengthening framework, sheathing saidlighter-than-air units, each of said tubular members comprising thin,flexible, dense material, pressurized gas within said material, andsealed flat ends that are fixed to outer edges of said wall portions;and skin means enveloping said tubular members and said lighter-than-airunits, streamlinedly connected to said wall portions and flat ends. 26.A vehicle as set forth in claim 16, in which the said winged meanscomprises a pair of wings, one of which extends from each side of saidbody.
 27. A vehicle as set forth in claim 26, in which said wings have acenter line of aerodynamic lift that is rearward of said center ofgravity.
 28. A vehicle as set forth in claim 26, in which: said wingedmeans comprises tubular spars, extending into and connected within saidbody; and the vehicle comprises motor means in said body, connected tosaid spars, for pivoting said wings into variable angles of attack. 29.A vehicle as set forth in claim 26, in which said wings comprise aplurality of tubular members, each of which contains gaseous materialunder a pressure well above that of the atmosphere at sea level.
 30. Avehicle as set forth in claim 29, in which said gas is lighter than airand each of said tubular members comprises a tubular element havingsubstantially flat ends.
 31. A vehicle as set forth in claim 16, inwhich said other vehicle-attitude-controlling means coprises auxiliaryairfoil means and mechanism for pivoting said auxiliary means,controllable by the pilot of the vehicle, for counterbalancing at leasta portion of the said torque of the aerostatic means.
 32. A vehicle asset forth in claim 31, in which: the maximum torque of saidstern-elevating propulsive means overbalances the torque of saidaerostatic means, depressing the forward end of the vehicle and tendingto force said lingitudinal axis into a negative angle with a horizontalplane; and the said auxiliary airfoil means comprises a forwardelevator, pivotally mounted on a forward-end portion of the vehicle,controllable by the pilot to counterbalance the said overbalancingtorque of the stern-elevating propulsive means.
 33. A vehicle as setforth in claim 31, in which said other vehicle-attitude-controllingmeans comprises a rear elevator, pivotally mounted on a rear-end portionof the vehicle.
 34. A vehicle as set forth in claim 31, in which thesaid other vehicle-attitude-controlling means comprises wing flaps,pivotally mounted on said winged means, at least most of its aerodynamicsurfaces being located rearward of said center of gravity.
 35. A vehicleas set forth in claim 31, in which the said othervehicle-attitude-controlling means comprises an airfoil that ispivotally mounted on a forward-end portion of the vehicle and an airfoilthat is pivotally mounted on a rear-end portion of the vehicle.
 36. Avehicle as set forth in claim 16, in which said body has walls thatcomprise resilient tubular members and gaseous material in said members.37. A vehicle as set forth in claim 36 in which: at least some of saidtubular members comprise individual elongated tubes; each of said tubeshas at its ends a pair of said substantially flat end portions; and eachof said last-named flat end portions comprises closely juxtaposed,substantially planar portions and bonding material between said planarportions.
 38. A vehicle as set forth in claim 37, in which: each of saidindividual tubes has sufficient length in proportion to thecross-sectional area of its middle portion to be circular in crosssection at that middle poRtion; and each of said last-named middleportions is cylindrical.
 39. A vehicle as set forth in claim 36, inwhich said tubular members comprise: flexible, substantiallynon-extensible material rounded middle portions; substantially flat endthe said last-named flat end portion projecting upward into ambient airand serving as a fin-like stabilizer.
 40. A vehicle as set forth inclaim 39, in which said gaseous material comprises lighter-than-air gas.41. A vehicle as set forth in claim 39, in which at least some of saidtubular members comprise end-joined inflated links in each tubularmember, each of said inflated links having: a rounded middle portion; apair of wider, flatter and thinner link-end portions; tapering, curvedsurfaces slanting inward from said middle portion to each of said widerlink-end portions; and tapering, curved surfaces slanting outward fromsaid middle portion to the thinner part of each of said flatter endportions. d
 42. A vehicle as set forth in claim 41, in which the saidlink-end portion between each two adjacent links comprises bondingmaterial, sealing across the link-end portion, and barring flow ofgaseous material between said adjacent links.
 43. A vehicle as set forthin claim 41, in which: said body comprises at least one pair oforthogonally-arranged walls; and each of said orthogonally arrangedwalls comprises space-filling chocks adjacent to at least some of saidlink-end portions; and each of said chocks has a middle part at a saidwider dimension that is thicker than each of its ends, and has curvinglytapered surfaces shaped to conform to portions of said tubular-membercurved, tapering surfaces, filling space between adjacent tubularmembers and strengthening them at their junction.